The school's influence stretches far beyond its campus where ongoing research in Costa Rica and other South American countries is exploring methods.

Anaerobic digestion facilities are popping up across the country, including some at college campuses.

Michigan State University, in East Lansing, Mich., is leading with way with a facility that processes between 20,000 and 24,000 tons of food waste annually to generate 380 kilowatts of electricity every hour for the campus, up to 2,800,000 kwH annually.

But Michigan State’s influence stretches far beyond its campus where ongoing research in Costa Rica and other South American countries is exploring methods to address challenging waste streams specific to certain regions.